Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Rather than an overall season summary, here's a quick overview of how each of Frontale's first team players have fared in 2008.

Some get more of the limelight than others in the match reports, so it's only fair that all the contributors get a bit of attention. That said, some of the less frequent participants - Tasaka, Yabu, Kukino, to name a few - have been glossed over. Maybe we'll see more of them in 2009.

Decent enough season for big Eiji. 42 goals conceded in 34 J.League games isn't a particularly flattering statistic, but it could have been a lot worse without "safe hands" Kawashima tending the net.

He's an excellent shot stopper and rarely spills even the fiercest drives. The one aspect of his game that lets him down at the moment is his lack of communication with his defenders. One would imagine this will improve with experience.

Very important season coming up for Eiji if he wants to be Japan's No.1 at the 2010 World Cup.

Very impressed with Ito this year. Assured under pressure and probably the only Frontale defender not to have attempted an audition for the "Keystone Cops", he's even got his name on the scoresheet a couple of times after several barren years.

Playing in a back 3 he was sometimes left exposed by Yamagishi's lack of defensive metal, but he's looked very comfortable on the left of a flat back 4. The only question mark going into next year is whether he still has the pace to play as an out-and-out fullback.

2008 will have been a strange year for Yamagishi. He made the move from JEF, the club he's been with since schoolboy days, only to discover his new team seems incapable of utilising his strengths but has great ease in exposing his weaknesses.

Although the evidence this year was all too fleeting, Yamagishi is clearly a good wing player, and arguably the best crosser of the ball the team possesses. The problem is that he spent a large chunk of the season as wingback where he saw much more of the ball in his defensive role than in attack.

Presumably Sekizuka had a clear idea of how he wanted Yamagishi to fit into the side. It'll be one of his biggest challenges to now realise that plan.

We've already spoken enough about the shoddy hand that fate has dealt Kazuki in the past few years. Focussing purely on on-field activity this year, it has to be said that his position behind Juninho, Chong Tese and Renatinho in the pecking order was fully justified.

The decision that he should move on at this juncture was surely motivated by the player as much as by the club. Hopefully he can now succeed in getting his career back on track.

Juninho has been Frontale's best player and their worst player in equal measure this year. For whatever reason, the whole Hulk debacle seemed to affect him very badly and he looked a shadow of his former self for the first few months of the season. The goals eventually started to come, but it was as provider rather than scorer that he really came to the fore.

Juninho will alway score goals because he's not afraid to shoot. However, 2008's ratio was down to only 1 goal every 10 shots. Maybe now it's time for the Brazilian to focus more on creation rather than execution.

I don't think it's too strong to say that Vitor's arrival was the singlemost important event of 2008. In Vitor, Frontale finally found someone to fill the gaping hole left in the midfield by Magnum's move to Nagoya. And he's only 22 years old (officially!).

Scoring the winning goal away to Urawa Reds in your debut is bound to leave a lasting impression, but Vitor completely revitalised the team, most notably Juninho who was like a new man in the second half of the season.

He did seem to run out of steam a little in the last few weeks, but expect to see great things once he's rested and back to full fitness in 2009.

A bit of a mixed bag for Shuhei this year. Like Igawa, he's been terribly error-prone at times and had a long battle with injury in the middle of the season. Then again, he's had some really commanding performances which have been rewarded by the Japan NT selectors.

His biggest challenge for 2009 is trying to keep injury at bay - something which, at his age, is becoming more and more difficult.

In some ways Kengo will surely be glad to see the back of 2008. Not only did he find himself captaining a team in crisis early on in the year, he was also the only player on the pitch creative enough to open up the opposition defence, as well as being the only defensively-minded midfielder looking to protect the men behind him.

It has to be said, he's been short of spectacular this season, which (from him) is a little disappointing. However, when taking into account the huge responsibility he's had to bear it's certainly excusable. Here's hoping Sekizuka will take some of the burden off his shoulders.

Kengo is another player for whom 2009 will be pivotal in deciding his 2010 World Cup fate.

Despite occasionally playing like he's never seen a football before, let alone kicked one, Chong Tese has cemented himself as a core member of the Frontale team in 2008. His strength makes him an ideal target man for long balls and his finishing can, at times, be world class.

There is undoubtedly room for improvement. He has games where he loses possession with alarming ease and regularity, and his accuracy in front of goal can be as dazzling woeful as it is sometimes dazzling brilliant. The important thing, however, is that he is improving season by season. Try not to be too surprised if you see him collecting the golden boot award this time next year.

Kikuchi was the defensive option introduced in midfield to free up Kengo. To be blunt, it didn't really work.

He's still only 23 years old, but I think if he wants to develop as a defensive midfielder he needs to be at a club where there's already an experienced expert in that position to help bring his game on.

Yokoyama impressed greatly when he filled in for the injuries at centre back in the middle of the season. As well as being solid defensively, he looks very comfortable in possession, even in advanced areas of the field, which is something of a rarity. Look forward to seeing much more in 2009.

Like Yamagishi, Mori isn't ideally suited to the role of wingback because he doesn't have the requisite defensive fortitude. Unlike Yamaigishi, however, Mori does see a lot of the ball in attacking positions and has repeatedly impressed with his ability to go past defenders and get balls in from the bye-line.

A long spell out with injury this season hasn't helped Mori fully establish his worth and one wonders if this will affect Sekizuka's choices in terms of player acquisitions and system re-organisation for 2009.

It's been said before, but the arrival of Vitor put paid to Ohashi's Frontale career.

He showed great vision and a good passing range in the early stages of the season. But he seems to be very much a confidence player and when only getting the occasional chance to impress from the bench he was never able to turn on the magic. Hopefully he'll get more opportunities to prove his undoubted talent at his new club.

Listed as a midfielder, this season has shown that if Murakami is anything, he's a full back.

Given a chance to show what he's made of when Mori got injured early in the year, there was an obvious contrast between the two players' skill sets - what Mori lacks in defence, Murakami lacks in attack.

The wingback role really doesn't suit him, but the move to a back 4 later in the year allowed him to show that he's certainly got what it takes as an out-and-out defender.

An eventful year for Taniguchi - not least due to his summer spent in Beijing with an underperforming Japanese Olympic team.

He's won a lot of fans in 2008, not just for the number of goals he's notched up, but also for the significant stages at which those goals have come - single-handedly rescuing games on a few occasions. His overall contribution has sometimes been called into question, but even here there has been a definite improvement and plenty of hope for more.

He seems to have taken a lot from his international experience and is clearly learning a lot from playing alongside the likes of Kengo and Vitor. Not sure he's got what it takes to move on to the next level and book a ticket to South Africa, but certainly happy to be proved wrong.

Is this the man destined to take over Juninho's mantle as Frontale's star striker? There have certainly been promising signs in 2008, but there have also been question marks - particularly over his attitude.

Renatinho has great ball control, a good finish and looks to have the best striker's instinct of any of Frontale's forwards. He also has the kind of arrogance that can either give an added edge to a striker's game or, if left unchecked, ruin a promising career. Hopefully the experienced Juninho can guide his young fellow countryman along the right path.

Well, you can unfasten those seatbelts now. Kashima's win in Sapporo put an end to the dream and ensured the J1 crown will stay in Ibaraki for another year. Still, for Frontale to have taken it to the final day of the season is an accomplishment in itself. And Saturday's 2-0 win over Verdy secures both a very respectable 2nd spot in the table and, more importantly, a place in next year's Asian Champions League.

The match itself wasn't the great spectacle it should have been. Needing to make up 4 goals against the Antlers to stand any chance of topping the league, Frontale came out with all guns blazing. But an inexplicable red card for Verdy's Takashi Fukunishi midway through the first half put a strange spin on the contest that the visitors struggled to deal with.

It would be wrong to talk about "opening exchanges" because that would suggest Verdy had some influence on the game's early stages. As it was, they spent most of the time looking on as their opponents tested the quality of their woodwork.

Frontale should have been a goal up within the first minute, but Juninho managed to hit a seated defender rather than the gaping target of an open goal - the ball rebounding off the post and into the keeper's grateful hands. The prodigal Brazilian was then just inches away from getting a toe on the end of a slightly misdirected Taniguchi strike. His third chance saw him hook the ball onto the crossbar from 3 yards out following a decent save from a Chong Tese shot.

Still, nothing particularly strange about Juninho failing to convert chances, and Verdy were offering nothing in return. It seemed only a matter of time before the floodgates finally opened.

Then in stepped the referee to change the tide of the game. Looking to clear the ball after a Frontale corner, Fukunishi swung his arm to get a bit more leverage. Whatever contact there was with Shuhei Terada, who was standing behind him, was minimal and certainly not malicious, but the referee saw fit to issue a straight red card and award Frontale a penalty. Utterly baffling.

There was a long hold up while Verdy players inquired about the referee's optical health - understandable, given the very real (and ultimately realised) threat of relegation to J2. When Fukunishi finally left the field it was just left for Juninho to send his spot-kick wide and add more fuel to an already stoked Verdy fire.

With the home side now primed for a fight the game changed. They worked much harder to close Frontale down and started to show some attacking threat. Although Eiji Kawashima was never really tested, they managed to amass a reasonable shot count and even had a couple of penalty shouts of their own.

However, as the second half wore on the numerical difference started to take its toll. Gaps started to reappear in the Verdy defence, and although for a while Frontale still seemed unable to put the game to bed, the inevitable breakthrough eventually arrived - Renatinho showing great centre-forward's instinct to get in front of his marker and dispatch a Juninho cross. The result was then put beyond doubt by a fizzing 20-yard strike from captain Kengo in the dying minutes.

And so there you have it. The end of another sparkling season of J.League football. And plenty to look forward to next year...if only it wasn't 3 months away!

Wednesday, December 03, 2008

As if the excitement of the last leg of the title chase isn't enough, news now comes in that the doors to the Todoroki dressing rooms have already started revolving.

The biggest news is that Takashi Sekizuka - the man who steered Frontale from J2 obscurity to the ACL quarter finals - is officially to resume control of the team as of next season. Tsutomu Takahata will revert to his former role as assistant coach.

Sekizuka was forced to quit as coach in April 2008 for health reasons, but it seems the door has always been left open for him should he wish to return. And after a season of rest and recuperation he's now decided there's unfinished business to attend to.

When he does return, however, he'll have 5 fewer faces to choose from as it's also been announced that contracts will not be renewed for the following players:

Ganaha's had a torrid couple of seasons. First there was the year out due to "garlic-gate". Then, just as he's starting to regain some form, Renatinho arrives on the scene. Still, he's proven his quality in the past and will be a good signing for a team that can make the most of his abilities.

Ohashi's another player who'll benefit from finding a club that can give him more first team opportunities. Like Ganaha, Ohashi suffered from the mid-season signings. Before Vitor Junior's arrival, he was threatening to cement a place in the starting eleven. Ever since, he's been glued to the bench with the occasional 5 mintes here and there.

I haven't seen enough of the other 3 to make any meaningful comment, but thanks and good luck to them all.

Sunday, November 30, 2008

Too late to catch the Antlers in the goal difference stakes? What a load of nonsense! Thanks to Kashima's last-gasp winner against Jubilo, the Goal Difference Stakes is now the only race that counts, but even then it may well end up counting for nothing. Still, let's try not to get ahead of ourselves.

On their final home outing of the season, Frontale put on another impressive display to dispatch Vissel Kobe with plenty of room to spare.

It was an ideal start to the game. After just 3 minutes, a bang-in-form Chong Tese latched onto a perfectly-timed through ball from Juninho. A quick glance over at the linesman meant his shot was delayed just long enough for the keeper to commit himself one way and for the big Korean to send the ball the other.

But, despite the one-sided scoreline, this proved to be far more of a contest than last week's drubbing of Gamba. Kobe's front men stretched the home defence for a good 60 minutes and were a little unlucky not to find an equaliser. Leandro could have bagged a couple in the first half, but he blazed the first wide and the second was too close to big Eiji Kawashima. Okubo too had the net at his mercy before the break, but a fabulous lunge from the unlikely Mori blocked his goal-bound effort.

Vissel continued to look the more dangerous side after the break, but the ever-solid Kawashima, and some wayward shooting, kept the score at 1-0. Then on 62 minutes the game changed. Taniguchi got on the end of a neat through-ball in the Kobe box. His blocked shot wriggled under the keeper allowing the Pyongyang predator, Chong Tese, to lash the ball in from close range.

Forced to find a quick reply, Kobe fell victim to a trademark Frontale counter just minutes later. The ball was cleared out of defence to our favourite North Korean, who headed the ball on and then turned on a sixpence to retrieve his own pass. His outpaced marker, Kunie Kitamoto, cynically dragged Tese to the floor, but advantage was played and Renatinho set up Juninho to find the net through the legs of the covering defender. If conceding a third wasn't bad enough for Kobe, the referee then went back and issued Kitamoto his second yellow for the foul.

So, three goals and one man down - things were looking pretty bleak for the visitors. But then injury was added to insult as Leandro crocked himself while trying to con the referee in the Frontale area. At first it looked a fairly decent shout for a penalty, but the replay suggests he took his own legs from under himself.

With their bite now gone as well as their bark, the match was over for Kobe. All that remained was for Frontale to continue to eat away at Kashima's superior goal difference. They huffed and puffed and finally Renatinho found his goalscoring form in the final minute. This time Juninho returned the favour, setting up the cheeky-faced scamp to remind us all that he knows a thing or two about finishing.

And so here we are, going into the final match of the season and still a faint glimmer of hope that a first J.League crown could be coming to Todoroki.

However, there is a caveat. If Kashima end up losing in Sapporo, Nagoya fail to win at Oita and Frontale haven't beaten Verdy by the required 3 goals, it would be the most sickening way to lose the title race. But if they throw too much caution to the wind, they could open the door for Verdy to nick a win. And if Verdy nick a win, it could mean no ACL spot.

It would be a huge shame not to take anything from the season, but then again the cautious approach has never been Frontale's strong point, so here's to a 3-0 win at Ajinomoto!

Monday, November 24, 2008

Frontale brushed aside a weary Gamba Osaka on Sunday to keep up the pressure on their title rivals. And while it's a bit late in the day to be catching Kashima in the goal difference stakes, you can't fault the boys for trying.

As the scoreline suggests, this was a fairly one-sided affair. However, for a 15-minute spell in the first half Gamba were in the driving seat and a more dynamic pairing up front than Lucas and Bando would probably have punished a stretched Frontale defence.

But just as the Gamba pressure was starting to cause some real concern, Frontale managed to get their collective foot in. The turning point was an incisive counter attack that exposed the visitors' defensive frailty. Chong Tese broke away on the left and cut out the defense with a surprisingly well-weighted early pass in to Renatinho. But, with the goal at the young Brazilian's mercy, the ball just wouldn't sit for him and the chance went begging.

Nevertheless, this seemed to put some lead in Frontale's pencil and they started putting together passages of the fast, flowing football that has been so absent of late.

The breakthrough came just before halftime - Chong Tese leaping like an enchanted salmon to convert a corner cross with an unstoppable header. It may be unfair to single anyone out in a game where all played well, but Chong Tese deserves a special mention. He's come in for criticism in these parts for his frequent spells of poor form, so it's only fair that he gets praise when it's due. And the Todoroki faithful were treated to a new and improved Chong Tese on Sunday, showing the kind of athleticism that would rightly make him the envy of most J.League teams.

The game was killed off early in the second half with 2 goals in the space of 5 minutes. Chong Tese again did well to keep alive a failed attack. The ball was worked to Taniguchi on the edge of the area and his strike took a slight deflection off the back of Satoshi Yamaguchi as it crept inside the post.

Juninho got in on the act too, poking a toe at Mori's cross after the winger had skipped his way past two men down the right.

The nail in the visitors' coffin was driven home by Gamba-trained Yusuke Igawa. A counter that swept the full length of the pitch was inexpertly dealt with by a wretched Gamba defence and Igawa, who had started the move from his own penalty area, was presented with the simplest of finishes.

Setting aside the fact that Gamba were definitely not at their best, Sunday's goal-fest was significant for several reasons. First and foremost, the win means the title hunt is still on - although with just 2 games to bridge a 3-point gap it's looking a bit of a tall order.

Secondly, the result sends out a message to Kashima and Nagoya that they've got a fight on their hands - something which would have been in question following the capitulation against Omiya the other week.

But most importantly, the performance, both at an individual level and as a team, will have restored some much-needed self-belief at a time when the season was threatening to go out with a whimper rather than a bang.

Sunday, November 16, 2008

On a cloudy Saturday afternoon in Nagasaki, Frontale were dumped out of the Emperor's Cup by runaway J2 leaders Sanfrecce Hiroshima.

Based on recent form away from Todoroki, this result doesn't come as a major shock. Perhaps the game was more a measure of the improvements the J2 outfit has made since last season's relegation. Still, the nature of the defeat is a little worrying. Despite missing key players (Kengo, Terada and Kawashima) on international duty, one would expect a side that still has pretensions of becoming J.League champions to offer a bit more than this lacklustre display.

As it was, Sanfrecce controlled the game from the outset, had much the better of the scoring chances and were worthy winners. Their first was the result of an impressive passage of play that started at the back and finished when stand-in keeper Uekusa could only parry a firm headed shot and Toshihiro Aoyama was first to react to the loose ball.

Having done little to worry Sanfrecce in the first half, Frontale at least showed some attacking intent in the second. Renatinho saw a deflected shot come back off the bar and there was the usual smorgasbord of mid-range shots that went sailing wide or over.

However, forced to push more players forward in an effort to get back on level terms, they were punished by a rather Frontale-esque counter in the 57th minute. Winning possesion deep in their own half, Sanfrecce launched a lightning-quick raid down the right flank. The resulting cross, played in behind the Frontale defence, ended up at the feet of Koji Morisaki (via a rather fortunate touch off the boot of a lunging Igawa) who made no mistake with his finish.

The only positive to take from this game is the slap in the face it will have dealt the players. If they failed to get the message with the Omiya result, then surely now they'll have woken up and realised that, with title rivals continuing to leave the door ajar, this is not the time for a slump. Takahata had better get his motivational cap on cos up next it's newly-crowned champions of Asia, Gamba Osaka.

Sunday, November 09, 2008

Well, what to say? Before kick-off many people had this chalked up as an easy win for Frontale. But if the J.League teaches us anything, it's that we should assume nothing.

And it was a deserved victory for Omiya, who started the game perilously close to the J1 drop zone. From the first whistle they gave the visitors a lesson in passion and commitment, perhaps suggesting their desire to stay in J1 is stronger than Frontale's desire to win it.

This desire seemed to take Frontale by surprise in the opening stages. They were way off the pace for the first 15 minutes and were pressurised time and again into handing over possession. Indeed Omiya could (and perhaps should) have been 2-0 up before Frontale managed their first meaningful effort on goal. Lavric being the worst offender - 5 yards out with the goal at his mercy he completely missed the ball and watched it bounce harmlessly off his standing leg into the hands of Kawashima.

However, the big Slovenian, who gave Igawa and Terada a torrid time for the full 90 minutes, more than made up for that howler. Just as Frontale were starting to get a foothold in the game, a loose ball from Vitor Junior in midfield left his defence exposed. Omiya eventually worked the ball to Lavric who thundered a shot against the post from the corner of the penalty area and the grateful Fujimoto was on hand to direct the rebound into an empty net.

Conceding early goals is nothing new for Frontale and, with their minds now focussed on the task at hand, they began to find a bit more space in the attacking third of the field. But, although they knocked on the door a few times, the Omiya defence held firm, limiting the Frontale strikers to a few half chances. And it was only an absolute wonder-goal from Mori that finally got the visitors on level terms.

It was a measure of the desperate lengths Frontale were having to resort to that Mori even thought about going for goal when a corner clearance fell to him 35 yards out. But go for goal he did. And before the cynical "What are you doing?!" had cleared the lips of the onlooking Frontale faithful, the ball had dipped and swerved its way into the top right corner of the net. The entire audience was left open-mouthed. An old man in the Omiya crowd looked on stoically. One senses this wasn't the first time the footballing gods had foresaken him.

Understandably, Omiya were a little shellshocked by this and some lax defending almost allowed Renatinho to repeat the feat two minutes later. But his 30-yard lighning bolt flew inches over the bar. Still, Frontale would have been much the happier side going in at half time with the scores equal.

The second half was a more even contest in terms of possession and chances. Frontale looked the more likely to take the lead with Omiya perhaps a little worn out from their first half exertions. But the Omiya defence, outstandingly marshalled by Leandro, continued to frustrate the efforts of the Frontale strikeforce. Even the occasional embarrassing swan dive from Renatinho couldn't conjure up a goalscoring opportunity for the visitors.

After a while the home team seemed to find its second wind. With Lavric expertly bullying away up front, there was always an outlet for his defence to relieve the pressure. And the Frontale backline began to find itself repeatedly overstretched by a fast breaking Omiya midfield.

It was Lavric himself who restored their lead in the 77th minute with a wonder-strike of his own. A break down the right left Lavric alone against Igawa in the middle. When the ball reached him on the edge of the area he took one touch to flick it up and belted it on the full volley past a full-stretch Kawashima. A great goal - perhaps not as awe-inspiring as Mori's effort, but there was probably a little less in the way of luck about it.

To their credit, Frontale threw everything (including the kitchen sink) at Omiya to try to get back in the game, but it wasn't to be. No catalogue of missed chances, no dubious refereeing decisions, just a determined opponent who were prepared to battle for the 3 points.

So where does this leave us in the greater scheme of things? Taking nothing away from Omiya, it certainly wasn't a performance worthy of a title-winning side. And while sub-par performances away from home aren't exactly unheard of, with the finishing line in sight, this could well prove to be more than just a hiccup.

When it comes to the J.League you should assume nothing, but that Emperor's Cup is suddenly looking a lot more attractive!

Thursday, October 30, 2008

Despite the rather conservative scoreline, Kawasaki made light work of their 4th round Emperor's Cup tie against J2's Montedio Yamagata on Monday. Probably fair to say the ballboys behind the Montedio goal had a sterner workout than big Eiji Kawashima between the Frontale sticks.

The match featured many of the hallmarks of the 2008 season - an early goal deficit, a Taniguchi-inspired comeback, the occasional nerve-jangling defensive mishap, and chance after golden chance going begging. Classic Frontale!

Coach Takahata fielded a full-strength side and early signs were good with the home team dominating possession. But a free kick conceded wide on the left gave Montedio a chance to load the Frontale penalty area and exercise the aerial prowess that could well see them promoted to J1 next season. And that one chance was all they needed - defender Ishii towering above the mismatched Taniguchi to nod in the opener.

There wasn't a great deal Taniguchi could have done to prevent the goal, but he was nevertheless quick to make amends. Ghosting into the box, he met a Juninho cross at the right post (after some excellent work from the veteran Brazilian on the left). There may be question marks over the keeper opting to cling onto the ball while his momentum took him over the goal line. Still, he more than made up for this lapse with a succession of fine saves throughout the rest of the game.

From here on there was little doubt over how the game was going to turn out. It was just a question of who could actually convert one of the opportunities that came their way. One thing soon became pretty obvious - it wasn't going to be Chong Tese. The Korean had what could politely be described as a bad day at the office. Put more bluntly, it was as if he thought it was still Halloween and was trying to scare children with the ghoulishness of his shooting. To be fair, he wasn't the only guilty party and he was still of value as a target man, but I swear Renatinho was struggling to restrain a giggle after he'd seen his lumbering team mate send yet another sitter wide of the post.

When Fronatle did finally manage to take the lead it came with an element of good fortune. With half time looming the Montedio defence looked to have foiled another attack, but the attempted clearance rebounded kindly for Vitor Junior who made no mistake driving his shot into the corner of the net.

It's pleasing to see Vitor Junior back on the scoresheet. After a tremendous start at the club, he's been a little subdued in recent games. Obviously his role is slightly more withdrawn with the new 3-pronged attack of Juninho, Renatinho and Chong Tese, but hopefully this goal will prove a timely confidence boost for the final weeks of the season.

Second half was more of the same - lots of squandered Frontale chances, little threat from the visitors. As touched upon a few times in recent weeks, Juninho continues to look more of a threat as goal provider than goal scorer. Having already set up Taniguchi for Frontale's first he then created the third on 56 minutes. Deftly robbing the ball from Brazilian centre-back Leandro on the byline, he crossed for the onrushing Renatinho to wrap things up with ease.

So all-in-all, good preparation for the crucial final leg of the season. While it's nice to be in the 5th round of the Emperor's Cup (where another J2 opponent awaits - Sanfrecce Hiroshima) the main focus has got to be the league. The championship has never been so close and, given the current standings, anything less than ACL qualification should rightly be viewed as a disaster.

Roll on Omiya...

Monday, October 27, 2008

And so the rollercoaster ride continues. From the dejection of last week's title-threatening loss against S-Pulse to this week's jubilation as Frontale clawed their way back to within striking distance of the top. Anyone who didn't have their seatbelt fastened will be wishing they'd heeded my advice!

In fairness, anything less than a win against already-relegated Sapporo would have been like taking the gift horse, collectively presented by Kashima, Nagoya and Oita, and examining its teeth. Still, for a brief spell in the second half this was far from comfortable viewing.

Kengo and Taniguchi gave Frontale a deserved lead in the first half. Kengo shot through a crowd of bodies after a neat back-heel from Juninho, wrong-footing the Sapporo keeper. Then Taniguchi (back from suspension) was at hand to bundle in the second from close range after good play from Mori and Chong Tese down the right.

Sapporo did little to threaten but had one good chance before half time which was eventually sliced wide by Nakayama.

However, the spectre of wasted opportunities almost came back to haunt Frontale in the second half. Juninho was (as he has been for most of this season) the guiltiest culprit. But it was only when Renatinho decided to get in on the act that the real scare came.

Juninho did well on the left wing (a position I think suits him and a role I'd like to see him adopt more, with Yamagishi looking to be out for the rest of the season) and sent a pinpoint cross onto Renatinho's head. But, 6 yards out and under no pressure, the young whippersnapper contrived to steer his header wide.

The next thing you know, with Renatinho still extracting his head from his hands, Davi has broken away at the other end, rounded Kawashima and pulled one back for the visitors.

A draw would have been a disaster and, with the lead now cut to one goal, the pressure was firmly back on the home side. Against better opposition they might have folded, but Sapporo are facing J2 opposition next year for a reason - defensively they're pretty shambolic.

To his credit, Juninho finally reached the conclusion he had missed too many sitters for one game and sealed the victory on 84 minutes. A typically-accurate free kick delivery from Ohashi (on at the end for Vitor Junior) was headed back across goal and the veteran Brazilian made no mistake this time. His relief (and that of his team mates) was palpable.

So now Frontale find themselves with 4 to play and just a 2-point gap to bridge. The Nabisco Cup final next weekend gives everyone a chance to catch their breath, but it's back to the chase in two weeks away to Omiya. In the meantime, there's Montedio Yamagata in the Emperor's Cup on Monday.

Friday, October 24, 2008

When Todoroki Stadium was designed in the early-60's, there was no contingency in the plans for the various demands associated with hosting an increasingly popular 21st century J-League football team.

It's now come to the attention of the powers-that-be that not only is Todoroki struggling to contain the growing number of supporters coming to watch Frontale play, it's also becoming something of a safety hazard.

So the time has come to say goodbye to the old lady of Kawasaki and say hello to her younger, prettier sister (who also happens to have far greater capacity, better facilities and safer, easier access).

A new site has launched - http://love-todoroki.net - to build support amongst the local Kawasaki community for the new project (in the form of a signed petition). However, I believe they're also accepting signatures from supporters elsewhere.

If you want to lend your support, you can download a form here. (Just click on the PDF link and print out the form.)

It's all in Japanese, but from what I can make out you need to put your address in the first box, your name in the second and your seal (or signature) in the last box. (If this is incorrect, or if there's anything else that should be added or amended, please let me know).

Once you've filled in your details, just pop it in the post to the address below and then pat yourself on the back knowing you've done your bit to help Frontale take the next step towards footballing greatness!

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Kawasaki's title hopes took another dent on Saturday afternoon due to a resurgent Shimizu S-Pulse and various parts of the Nihondaira woodwork.

Had an inkling that points were going to be dropped in this game. S-Pulse's 5-goal demolition of FC Tokyo the other week, plus their march to the Nabisco Cup final, shows they're a very different prospect to the nervy outfit that visited Todoroki earlier this year. Then there's Frontale's past record in this neck of the woods which is nothing to brag about. Not to mention things always tend to be a bit rusty after an international break.

Coach Takahata obviously wanted to rest Chong Tese (who'd only just got back from Iran where he scored in N Korea's 2-1 loss) but was forced to bring him on early in the second half with Ganaha failing to deliver the goods. (Poor old Ganaha's been scoring regularly in the reserves, so it's a shame he couldn't do more with this rare start in the first team.)

More curious was the absence of Taniguchi, who wasn't even named among the subs. One can only assume he was suspended or picked up an injury in training. But with Kosuke Kikuchi filling in, it was always going to be a less dangerous Frontale side. The cautious approach has never reaped rewards this season, so perhaps Ohashi might have been a better option.

Not much to say about the match itself. Renatinho went close twice in the first half - one long range effort that went just over and another from inside the area that hit the post. Vitor Junior struck the bar with a free kick in the second half and sent a powerful header agonisingly wide late on. But that was the best of it.

S-Pulse, for their part, scored a decent opener. The combined forces of Murakami and Kikuchi failed to stop a mazy run down the left. The resulting long cross was then headed back across goal, leaving the unmarked Edamura with a simple finish.

Their second came from a corner with the ball dropping fortuitously for Hara following a botched attempt to clear the danger first time.

One positive note was the return of Yusuke Mori who came on for the last 20 minutes following a 5-month lay-off. If he can get back to full fitness it'll certainly help with the final push.

All-in-all, a 2-0 defeat is not really what was required at this stage. But let's be optimistic. 5 games to go - Saporro (h), Omiya (a), Gamba (h), Vissel (h), Verdy (a) - 5 points off the lead... Eminently do-able, I'd say!

Monday, October 06, 2008

Only saw the goals for this game, so not sure how good we actually were. But you can't really argue with 3-0 against a team who were topping the league a couple of weeks back.

A rare daytime match saw another impressive turnout at Todoroki (almost matching the last home gate versus next-door neighbours, FC Tokyo). There's clearly a feeling amongst the Frontale faithful that this could be the year.

Oita won't have been helped by the absence of main danger man, Ueslei, through suspension. Nevertheless, 3-0 is a comfortable victory and, as the ancient book of proverbs says, you can only play what's in front of you.

Coach Takahata gave Renatinho another start and the young Brazilian seized the opportunity to consolidate his place ahead of both Kurotsu and Ganaha in the current pecking order.

To be fair, his first goal was served up with a fairly generous slice of good fortune. Kengo played an awkward long ball behind the Trinita backline. It was allowed to bounce and Rentinho stole inside his defender and slotted the ball home. The replay shows that as he went past his man there may have been a little more hand involved than the law usually permits, but neither the linesman nor referee spotted it.

His second, a few minutes later, needed no such luck. The visitors lost possession in midfield and Chong Tese fed his young colleague who ran at the heart of the Trinita defence with speed and control before unleashing a low, swerving drive into the corner of the net.

And the star-in-the-making could have had his hat-trick in the second half, if Juninho hadn't had other ideas. On 58 minutes Frontale broke on the counter, but rather than squaring to his unmarked protege, Juni went alone and cracked Frontale's third into the top right corner. Renatinho didn't seem quite as thrilled during the goal celebrations as the rest of his team mates. But you've got to keep these youngsters' feet on the ground, haven't you?

With most of the weekend's other results going in Frontale's favour they now find themselves just 2 points off pole position with 6 games to go. Fasten your seatbelts!

Of course, you can always just turn up on matchday and buy tickets at the ground, but you'll end up paying a little extra.

The table below shows basic pricing for all unreserved seating areas. The colour-coding is to help with this (Japanese) stadium seating plan.

Zone

Type

Advance

Day

Members

General

General

S Zone

Adults

3,200 yen

3,600 yen

4,000 yen

Children

1,600 yen

1,800 yen

2,200 yen

SG Zone

Adults

2,300 yen

2,700 yen

3,000 yen

Children

800 yen

1,200 yen

1,600 yen

HomeA Zone

Adults

1,800 yen

2,200 yen

2,500 yen

Children

500 yen

800 yen

1,200 yen

AwayA Zone

Adults

-

2,200 yen

2,500 yen

Children

-

800 yen

1,200 yen

Getting to Todoroki

Frontale play their home games at Todoroki Stadium which is situated in Kawasaki City, across the Tama River from the southernmost part of Tokyo.

The stadium is just off the Nakahara Kaido (a dual carriageway connecting Tokyo with Yokohama), making road access fairly straightforward, but it's far easier to go by rail.

There are two stations within walking distance of Todoroki: Shin-Maruko and Musashi-Nakahara

Shin-Maruko station is on the Tokyu Toyoko Line, connecting Shibuya (in central Tokyo) with Yokohama, and is probably your best bet. Turn right out of the west exit and keep walking north til you reach the Nakahara Kaido. Turn left and follow the Nakahara Kaido west until it bends sharply to the left. Don't follow this bend, but instead take the small road on your right and follow your nose til the stadium comes into view.

Musashi-Nakahara station is on the JR Nambu Line. From here, turn right out of the north exit and then left onto the Nakahara Kaido heading east. Once you've passed the intersection with Route 409 (another main road) take the next left and you'll eventually see the stadium in the distance.

Alternatively, if the thought of a 20-minute walk gets you all hot and bothered, you can take a bus from outside the north exit of Musashi-Kosugi station (the next stop along from both Shin-Maruko on the Tokyu Toyoko Line and Musashi-Nakahara on the JR Nambu Line).

You can take a Kawasaki City Bus from stop No. 1 (either route #05 or route #40). Or a Tokyu Bus from stop No. 2 (either route #02 or route #31). Get off at the "Todoroki Ground Iriguchi" stop (just follow the crowd!).

Google Maps now has Street View covering this area, so you can familiarise yourself with the routes before you go. (Features some nice shots of the cherry blossom round the stadium in full bloom, too!)

Click on the red markers for Street View links

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

It seems the language requirements for Japanese citizenship were too rigorous for the 31-year-old Brazilian. Allegedly things got off to a bad start when he didn't understand the question asking for his date of birth.

However, it has also emerged that even if he were to brush up on his nihongo, FIFA regulations would still bar him from playing for Japan as he's previously represented his native Brazil at Under-20 level.

Well, it seems Frontale have had some maintenance done on their blocked goalscoring pipes. Saturday's 5-goal demolition of Kashiwa Reysol will have reminded the other title hopefuls that the boys in black and blue are still a very real danger. But it could have been all the more emphatic were it not for the same old defensive blunders rearing their ugly heads.

It didn't take long to see the fruits of the plumbers' labours. Frontale were a goal up within 60 seconds. A speculative long ball brushed off Chong Tese's head and, while the Kashiwa defenders were deciding who should clear it, the Korean bundled past them and buried it in the back of the net. Poor defending but a decent finish from a man who's been struggling to hit the target of late.

And "the Asian Wayne Rooney" (as the big man's somewhat misleadingly become known) didn't have to wait long for his second. Renatinho, making his first start for Frontale, stole the ball and fed Juninho whose deflected shot fell kindly for Chong Tese to head past the helpless keeper.

The only notable action from a Reysol player in the first half came when Kengo Nakamura found himself booked following a fairly innocuous challenge on the ever-petulant Popo. The Brazilian striker/clown had to summon up all his circus skills - a swan dive followed by a "leaping salmon" and then a lengthy display of writhing on the ground - to con the referee into issuing a yellow card.

However, revenge came swiftly and sweetly. With the miraculously-recovered Popo nipping at his ankles, Juninho went tumbling just outside the Kashiwa penalty area. And up stepped Kengo to dispatch the resulting free kick with some style.

Just before half time, Renatinho made it 4-0 with a clinical striker's finish. The young Brazilian hasn't exactly set the world alight since joining Frontale, but until now he's only been offered a handful of chances from the bench. This, his full debut, still wasn't spectacular but he definitely has the raw talent to become a star at Frontale, assuming he maintains a good mental attitude during his development.

The second half was a very different affair from the first. Perhaps Frontale were worried they might have difficulty getting home if they filled their boots too much.

Initially things seemed to be following the same course, but after Chong Tese had his third (a fine header) ruled out for a very dubious offside, Reysol started to get a foothold in the game.

Frontale were probably guilty of taking their foot of the gas and allowing Kashiwa to mount some pressure, but it was two defensive abominations that actually brought them back into the game.

The first saw Kengo (of all people!) desperately lunging at a ball that Eiji Kawashima was just about to claim. Maybe there was no shout from the keeper, but it ended up with everyone falling over each other and the ball dropping for Reysol's half-time sub, Minoru Suganuma, to score.

The second was slightly less elaborate, but equally comical. Shuhei Terada, in his first game back since injury against Nagoya, somehow tripped over his own legs while attempting to a clear a Reysol cross. The result was a pile of Terada on the floor and a simple strike for full-back Yohei Kurakawa.

Luckily, the charity ended there. And with Kashiwa continuing to throw numbers forward, Frontale sealed the victory in the dying minutes with a lightning-quick counter.

Kengo sent a fiendish 50-yard ball into the wide open space behind the Reysol defence. The flight of the ball eluded the outrushing keeper, leaving Juninho free to angle his shot into the untended net and thereby chalk up his first goal in 11 games.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

Is that it? Are those two dropped points the death rattle of Frontale's title challenge? Or was that simply the team clearing their collective throat for a final rousing chorus? Well, I don't hear any fat ladies singing, but there's certainly a chubby girl doing some laryngeal warm-up exercises somewhere.

A strange game this. For much of the first half both teams played in a way that was truly reflective of their contrasting league positions. Frontale were quick off the blocks with their fast, flowing passing game. The Marinos struggled to get a foot in and looked decidedly vulnerable at the back. But Kawasaki were unable to capitalise on their early superiority and were later made to rue their missed chances.

And chances there were - mostly for Chong Tese. The Korean brought a decent save out of Tetsuya Enomoto in the Marinos goal after a trademark through ball from Kengo Nakamura. Minutes later he was unlucky to see his best effort come back off the crossbar and he completed his hat-trick of first-half opportunities when he blasted into the side netting from a tight(-ish) angle. Kurotsu and Juninho also saw efforts go close, but as time ticked by it started to look like the mojo so obviously missing from the FC Tokyo performance was still lost.

Then came what can only be described as "one of those things". With minutes remaining of the first half, Yokohama won a corner from a typically timid attacking foray (Eiji Kawashima really should have done better than to turn the shot wide). Up strode Yuji "notoriously-dangerous-from-set-plays" Nakazawa, from the back. And the next thing you know it's 1-0 Marinos. Goal scorer? That's right, the very same Yuji "mark-me-loosely-at-your-peril" Nakazawa. Who'd have thought it?

Seconds later a moment of madness from Hiroki Ito, foolishly trying to beat his man at the edge of the 6-yard box, almost handed his opponents a 2-goal cushion. Fortunately, the resulting shot was straight at Kawashima and the referee's whistle brought some much-needed regrouping time.

Second half saw a rejuvenated Marinos much more involved against an increasingly desperate Frontale. This should have been a good thing as it created more space, but the rushed, panicky nature of Frontale's forward play was far from encouraging.

And then, just when it was looking like Kawasaki couldn't buy a goal, Yuji "reliable-as-you-like-especially-in-the-air" Nakazawa, under no real pressure, inexplicably headed into his own net from a Frontale corner. The Marinos had hardly deserved their lead, but they certainly didn't deserve this.

Their misery was compounded further when, 8 minutes later, Shohei Ogura was sent off for a second bookable offence. Frontale's numerical advantage had no obvious impact on the way the rest of the game played out. They continued trying to work the ball into dangerous positions too quickly, ultimately resulting in hurried shots that failed to find their target.

I'd like to say overall Frontale deserved to win this game, and to be fair Juninho and even Ito (in the dying seconds) had gilt-edged chances to wrap things up. But if they are to mount a final push this season (and I think that means winning all their remaining games) attacking displays like this one (and the FC Tokyo game) just won't cut the mustard.

If in fact it turns out that the dream is now over, it would be easy to point a finger at the hatful of wasted opportunities from the front men. The more telling statistic, however, is the number of goals conceded this season. Frontale have the 5th-worst defensive record in the league and have conceded twice as many goals as current leaders, Oita Trinita. (Oita Trinita? Current leaders? Still can't get my head round that.)

And it's not as if we've been on the wrong end of many drubbings. I think the away games to Kobe (4-1) and FC Tokyo (4-2) are the only times we've lost by more than a single goal). A little bit tighter at the back and the mountain left to climb wouldn't be quite so steep.

Anyway, speaking of mountains, onwards and upwards. P.S. If anyone finds the team's mojo can they return it in time for Saturday's game at Kashiwa Reysol.

Monday, September 22, 2008

Missed this one. FC Tokyo were a goal up after 5 mins and a man down after 40 and yet Frontale still couldn't pull it round.

That's 6 points the Gasmen have taken off us this year (which shows the progress they've made since last season when we beat them 5-2 and 7-0!). Could be very costly with 1st-placed Nagoya now 7 points ahead and just 9 games to play. But this is the J.League - anything can happen.

Interesting that Todoroki had the biggest crowd of all this weekend's games. There's something that doesn't happen very often.

Monday, September 15, 2008

Much as I hate to steal the thunder of a great performance against Kashima Antlers, I want to draw attention to some bad news I've just come across. The Rising Sun News, the long-time spiritual home of English-language discussion of Japanese football, is in danger of extinction.

The site's server has recently been hacked causing serious damage and, as it is a not-for-profit venture, the server's owner is no longer interested in maintaining it.

Matsu, the site's founder and chief writer, has been a source of information and entertainment for the past 8 years and can take a great deal of credit for the growth in popularity of Japanese football outside the Japanese-speaking world. For such a resource, and so many years of hard work, to be flushed away by an act of vandalism would be a real shame.

If you know how to help or want to leave a suggestion or comment, there's more on the subject here.

"Super Tan"? "Cometh The Hour, Cometh The Tan"? The tabloid headline writers would have been spoilt for choice after Hiroyuki Taniguchi once again saved the day for Kawasaki Frontale.

Not sure if that's the fourth or fifth time this season that Taniguchi's rescued at least a point from games that looked like they might be slipping away. And while I've never been dazzled by his involvement over 90 minutes, his knack of finding space in the right place at the right time is something without which Frontale would not be in the position they find themselves now.

In an exhilarating game at Kashima Stadium on Saturday night, both teams showed what a crunch match this was with the ferocity and commitment of their play. Both teams had opportunities to claim the victory, but on balance it was probably right that the spoils were shared.

The first half passed with no clear-cut chances for either side. Initially the home team looked to have a firm grasp on the game with their quick and accurate passing. Frontale for their part seemed a little awed by the occasion, giving the ball away carelessly whenever they did manage to wrest possession away from their opponents.

But after about 25 minutes the visitors started to settle and began to apply some concerted pressure on the Antlers goal. With the game now well and truly on, temperatures started to rise and tackles started to fly.

Koji Nakata was first to be cautioned after bringing down Juninho as he threatened to race in on goal. To be fair the Brazilian didn't need much invitation to go down, but the inciveness of the move had the Antlers backline beaten.

Next, Vitor Junior, who was tackling back in terrier-like fashion for much of the first half, made his way into the book with an over-excited lunge to which most of the Antlers team took great exception.

The gloves were now off and the game threatened to boil over when the referee awarded Frontale a free kick just outside the Antlers penalty area after some scuffling between Danilo and Vitor Junior. Kashima captain, Mitsuo Ogasawara went striding into the ensuing melee before suddenly collapsing to the ground like a sack of proverbial root vegetables. Did Juninho have a swing or was Ogasawara just looking to get someone sent off? Whichever, it was a very relieved referee who blew the half-time whistle a few minutes later.

Second half was a very different ball game. The nastiness creeping in at the end of the first half was gone, but the contest had lost none of its bite. More importantly the match began to open up and chances were being created almost at will.

The first real opening fell to Frontale - Vitor Junior hitting the foot of the post with a header. Then Marquinhos blasted over after Kurotsu had lost possession cheaply at the edge of his own area.

As the match wore on it became obvious that neither side was content to play for a draw. Kurotsu came off for the promising Renatinho, resulting in Frontale moving to what appeared to be a 4-2-4 formation.

Every other move was now resulting in a scoring opportunity and both keepers were called on to make good saves, but it was the Antlers who eventually broke the deadlock. Marquinhos received the ball just inside the box with his back to goal and somehow managed to beat two markers - Ito and Yamagishi - before firing past Kawashima. (It's harsh to point the figure of blame, but this has once again exposed the fact that Yamagishi is not a defender.)

But it's become something of a trademark of Frontale's play this season that they don't know when they're beaten. And just 5 minutes later they were back on level terms - Taniguchi losing his marker to head in a Vitor Junior corner.

The equaliser really took the wind out of the home team's sails and they were lucky to weather the next few minutes as their shellshocked defence watched Taniguchi miss with a free header and Juninho shoot straight at the excellent Sogohata in the Antlers goal, when squaring to Renatinho would surely have guaranteed a second.

However, before the game was out the Antlers came right back into it, twice being denied only by last-ditch blocks from the visitors' defence.

Frontale will definitely be the happier with the 1-1 scoreline. Playing away from home against a very good Antlers side and getting a valuable point out of it is a decent achievement. The Antlers, on the other hand, really needed to be getting as many points as possible on the board before their imminent return to ACL action (which is surely their priority this season).

With just 10 games left Frontale now need to make sure they don't let the 4-point gap between themselves and league leaders Nagoya grow any bigger, while at the same time hoping their rivals slip up. Should be an exciting run-in!

Friday, September 12, 2008

Some interesting nuggets in there including his fondness for speaking English and a motivational encounter with Yuji Nakazawa during his university days. (Not to mention the fact he wears the same coloured boots as Wayne Rooney!)

Hope to see him give 120 per cent against the Antlers on Saturday.

Friday, August 29, 2008

On a wet Thursday night Frontale put in a performance that fully justifies their lofty league position. This 4-1 demolition of Albirex Niigata should put pay to any lingering doubts that this year's title really is within their reach.

The first opening fell to Chong Tese and was almost a carbon copy of his goal against JEF at the weekend. Kengo played a perfectly-timed through ball from deep, but after a good first touch the Korean's shot was blocked by the keeper. Vitor Junior might have done better with the rebound, but the ball arrived too quickly and he was unable to make a proper connection.

Juninho (who had a rather profligate evening) saw a decent shot shave the upright before Masaru Kurotsu broke the deadlock with a wonderful solo effort. Receiving the ball wide on the left just inside the Niigata half, he turned his marker with ease exposing acres of open space. He then carried the ball a good 30 yards to the edge of the area before letting loose a strike that found the back of the net via a deflection off the covering defender.

Frontale's second was another rare goal from Hiroki Ito (only his second ever in the top-flight), who climbed highest at the near post to convert a Kengo corner. The keeper might have got a slightly stronger hand to it, but the poor weather conditions can soak up some of the blame.

It wasn't til early in the second half that Albirex had their first real chance. The home side failed to clear a corner and as the ball was knocked back into a congested penalty area the omni-present Kengo popped up to clear off the line (despite rather optimistic protests from the visitors that the ball had gone in).

No sooner was the danger averted than Frontale added another courtesy of an acrobatic overhead kick by Chong Tese - his third in three outings. The feat was all the more impressive as the tight angle required him to slice the shot off the outside of his boot in order to find his target.

Niigata mananged to snatch a consolation goal midway through the second half - Kisho Yano getting on the end of a deflected cross-cum-shot to score with a simple tap-in.

But with the clock running down, substitute Yusuke Tasaka restored some deserved gloss to the scoreline by finishing off a swift counter-attack. Although he found himself under no real pressure from the opposition defense, the youngster showed great composure as he bent a powerful shot into the corner of the net from 20 yards out.

So as we near the business end of the season it's getting tight at the top. Just two points separate 5th-placed Frontale from 1st-placed Nagoya, but with a difficult trip to 2nd-placed Kashima up next it's vital that this good momentum is maintained.

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Kawasaki Frontale kept up the pressure on the league leaders with victory over JEF United on Sunday night.

Probably fair to say this was an easier win than the 1-0 scoreline suggests. The visitors had a hatful of good goalscoring chances while JEF were limited to a few long-range efforts that required competence rather than brilliance from Eiji Kawashima in the Frontale goal.

Juninho had a decent effort early on. Running at the heart of the JEF defence, he let loose a powerful drive that will have left Masahiro Okamoto's gloves tingling for a good few minutes afterwards.

A better opportunity then fell to Kazu Murakami on the edge of the box, but he went for glory rather than squaring to the unmarked Vitor Junior on his left.

The breakthrough eventually came when a trademark long range pass from Kengo allowed Chong Tese to beat the offside trap and dink an easy lob into the back of the net.

The second half continued in much the same vein, with JEF failing to make any real impression. Chong Tese managed to miss from 5 yards out after good work from Juninho down the left. Then a vicious swerving shot from Kengo (a sight that's been something of a rarity this season) was just about beaten away by a relieved Okamoto in the JEF goal.

Monday, August 18, 2008

A combination of woodwork and Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi meant two points were dropped to a plucky, yet eminently beatable, Jubilo Iwata on Sunday.

Frontale's tactic of handing the opposition a one-goal lead and then clawing things back has worked out well in recent weeks. So it wasn't a huge setback when Ryochi Maeda got his chest in the way of a fierce cross to give the visitors the lead early on.

Despite bombarding the Iwata goal for much of the remainder of the first half, Frontale were clearly unwilling to break a winning formula of only mounting a comeback after the break, and went in at half time with it all still to do.

The start of the second half was delayed slightly as Vitor Junior required treatment for a leg injury. However, it was the diminutive Brazilian who had the first real opportunity of the second half as he broke away down the right before cutting back and crashing a sublime effort against the crossbar.

Frontale now had the wind in their sails and it wasn't long before returning Olympian, Hiroyuki Taniguchi, thundered a header into the back of the net from a Vitor Junior corner.

With the game all square, things appeared to be going to plan. But then within 60 seconds of the restart, a lapse in concentration saw the visitors back in front.

Satoru Yamagishi (who seems to be getting far more defensive responsibility than he can handle) was harshly judged to have broken up a Jubilo attack illegally. The resulting free kick, from wide on the right, was whipped in to the box by Kota Ueda and before you could say "Yours, Eiji!" the ball had found its way over the heads of the defensive line and into the corner of the net.

Not to be discouraged by a bit of bad luck (or carelessness, depending on how you want to view it), Frontale were back on the attack. Reassuringly, Chong Tese saw fit to reward the faith put in him during what has been a fairly patchy season. On 64 minutes the burly Korean used all his strength to beat off a defender and lash his shot just inside the near post to even things up again.

So once again the plan was back on track, with plenty of time left on the clock to find a winner. But then came what was probably the pivotal moment of the game. With Iwata looking shaky and Frontale ready to go for the jugular, Vitor Junior, clearly still struggling with his first half injury, was replaced by Masahiro Ohashi, who proceeded to squander two great opportunities - one a free header that he sent wide and the other a mis-kick from the just inside the penalty area.

You've got to feel sorry for Ohashi. He put in some really encouraging performances in the first half of the season and looked like the sort of player who, with a bit more confidence, could cement a first team spot. Then what happens? Vitor Junior comes along and consigns him to the role of bench warmer. I guess the pressure of knowing this could be his one chance to impress was too much for him.

With those two misses a seed of doubt was sown in the Frontale attack. Players were making bad decisions, taking shots when they should have been passing and the window of opportunity was lost.

The last throw of the dice was the introduction of new 21-year-old Brazilian signing, Renatinho. Straight away there were glimpses of brilliance in his touch and control, but after ballooning his one real chance over the bar he looked to be trying just a bit too hard. Promising signs though, especially if he can strike up an understanding with Juninho and Vitor Junior.

So 3 points it wasn't to be. But overall it's not looking too bad. Only 4 points off top spot, with Urawa and Kashima returning to ACL action next month. Would have gladly taken that back in May!

Overall, there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic at this juncture. The team is playing well, for the most part: Juninho is a constant threat in his new position on the left of a 3-man attack; can't really say enough positive things about Vitor Junior (hopefully this injury won't turn out to be serious); early signs suggest Renatinho could be a quality signing. And that's just the Brazilians!

The only real problem areas are the flanks. Murakami and Yamagishi are currently required to play as wingbacks, but what Murakami lacks in attack Yamagishi lacks in defence. Barring injury, Mori would normally start ahead of Murakami, but then there's the same problem that Mori isn't great defensively.

One solution would be to go with a flat back four with Murakami and Ito as full backs and two out of Igawa, Terada and Yokoyama in the middle. But with Igawa and Terada both out that's not really an option.

Another issue is where to play Taniguchi now that Vitor Junior's taking up the central attacking midfield role. Hard to leave him out when he's so often in the right place at the right time to knock in important goals. I guess time will tell.

Monday, July 28, 2008

A cracking display of football at Todoroki on Saturday night, with both teams justifying their status as serious title contenders. Frontale again came back from a goal down and, although both sides had chances to win it, a draw was probably the right result.

Magnum marked his first return to Todoroki, since transferring to Nagoya in the winter, with a stunning shot to give the visitors an early lead. Not only did this come against the run of play, but it was also largely brought about by an untimely recurrence of Shuhei Terada's hamstring injury.

Terada, who was starting his first game after over a month on the physio's couch, looked a safe bet to clear a long ball that was flicked on by Keiji Tamada in the middle of the field. However, the stalwart defender was obviously in trouble as he not only lost a mile of ground, but also failed to make any attempt at a block as Magnum raced on to the ball and struck a fierce drive into the back of the net from 20 yards.

The Brazilian's goal celebration was respectfully subdued, as Terada had to be helped from the pitch, clearly in some distress. It is still unclear how serious the big veteran's injury is, but let's just hope it's nothing career-threatening.

The game now settled into a pattern with Frontale controlling much of the play and Nagoya breaking dangerously on the counter. The rest of the first half saw the away team defending their lead staunchly and soaking up a great deal of pressure. Still, they almost doubled their lead when Johnsen's stinging shot rifled against the foot of the post and away to safety.

In the second half Frontale began to dominate possession far more effectively. They were finding more dangerous positions in attack and giving away much less in defence. Their first real opening came when Vitor Junior found room in the box and saw his lobbed shot-cum-cross rebound off the inside of the far post, past the waiting Juninho and eventually away by a relieved defender.

Nagoya were now starting to rock and the Todoroki crowd, continuing to earn their reputation as "12th player", piled on the pressure by raising the volume a few decibels. Within minutes Vitor Junior had levelled things up, pouncing on a blocked shot from Chong Tese and firing into an untended net.

At this stage, it looked like the game could only go one way, and Seigo Narazaki was forced to be at his very best in the Nagoya goal to keep out a couple of fine efforts from Juninho. However, once things were back on an even footing Nagoya, obviously not content to play for the draw, began to show that they're not just a counter-attacking outfit.

With the visitors now at their most attacking, Frontale did well to keep them at bay. The biggest scare came late on when Eiji Kawashima failed to claim a cross and only a last-ditch, goal-line block from Tomonobu Yokoyama, who was outstanding all game (after coming on for the ill-starred Terada), prevented the visitors from stealing all 3 points.

Overall, this is the best Kawasaki Frontale have been playing all season. Defensively the team is far less error-prone, Juninho seems a lot more confident as a provider rather than just an out-an-out goal scorer, and Vitor Junior (although this might be a bit premature) is an absolute revelation. Here's hoping they can maintain this kind of form when they return to action in a couple of weeks.